Thorned Roses and Ravens
by Veersight
Summary: She was his rose and he was her inspiration. Together they were unstoppable. **Swain/Leblanc drabbles**
1. Observations

**A/N: So I originally wrote this as a one shot thing for a tumblr challenge, but then i realized "wow I did not do their relationship any justice _at all_ " and this is for the sake of developing them more c: these two dorks need some love**

 **this is gonna be a slow-burn romance; its kind of like a chapter by chapter fic but not really xD it's little snapshots in Swain and LeBlanc's lives that include shit like the Kalamanda plot that Riot had (before they trashed it) and some other floofy and dramatic things :D aka: romance + action with a dash of classy?smut. It's not really in chronological order but I try q.q**

 **enjoy :D**

 **(p.s. I made the original 1st chapter the second chapter instead for the sake of timeline reasons that bugged me)**

 **x-x-x-x-x**

There were no faces he knew more than hers, no eyes he stared more into than those amber orbs. Throughout the years he had watched her seduce and use that sweet mouth of hers on diplomats, ambassadors and even generals. Hesitation was not in her vocabulary when it came to facing situations. But his careful eye was how he had discovered her in a far more different light. Swain had a habit for watching every slight change in a person's visage; it was how he had moved the tides to his favor and gained his charm within the Noxian High Command. But LeBlanc was no ordinary woman, she played the same game as he did. Their similarity had brought them to a new game of sorts, a fascinating challenge on garnering information from the other simply through wordplay and expressions.

The tea table was their favorite battleground.

She waltzed into his estate as she normally did and found him in the aviary, sitting alone with a cup in hand and a porcelain tea-set ready on the table. A sun-filled smile lit her features in the most uncharacteristic way imaginable as she approached him. It reminded him how easy it was for her to simply change from one personality to another.

How different it was from the past.

"Jericho, darling- you were gone yesterday" she stated "is something the matter?" LeBlanc gingerly took a seat on the opposite side of the small table while Swain naturally poured her a cup of tea out of habit.

"I had to look after Beatrice, she was ill and needed my attention" he replied smoothly. It was true enough, Beatrice was feeling sick of being trapped inside her cage all day during council meetings.

But his full reasons were far less than respectable, let alone accepted in Noxian society. He had bought himself a ticket to see Sona Buvelle herself play live in Demacia under the disguise and alias of a noble. It was dangerous and admittedly reckless, but he thought it was worth to see his favorite musician.

"And?" She was not satisfied, of course she wasn't. LeBlanc was and will always be the best liar between the both of them, even if he did lie it would be for naught.

" And I attended a performance of Sona Buvelle's, she played beautifully"

Her lower lip twitched ever so slightly and her forehead crinkled for a millisecond.

"Does the poster of her in your private quarters not suffice? Or the multiple love letters lying patiently in your drawer?" the Deceiver asked teasingly, she stirred her tea at a slow pace. Her eyes bore into his, unreadable as usual "honestly, you can be such a child at times"

A heavy silence sat between them. Swain's neutral gaze turned to ice at her comment and the exposed fragility of their alliance became visible. LeBlanc's eyes darted to the table, averting his stare.

Swain dropped a sugar cube into his tea, suddenly finding the taste too bitter for his liking.

"Is that all you wanted to discuss...?" he choked out in forced politeness. Swain had never been one for being rude in conversations despite what emotion he felt.

LeBlanc pulled out a folder full of papers and slid it to him "These are reports from my agents, I think you'll find them to your liking" she replied nonchalantly while opening the folder

Swain wasted no time, looking at the papers laid out in front of him. LeBlanc pursed her lips as he reviewed the files, picking up her teacup and sipping delicately from it. She set the cup down to it's saucer and glanced at her perfectly manicured nails. Patience never was her strongest suit.

"Interesting, thank you. You may go if you please."

The Deceiver stared at the Tactician in internal shock. Swain had never dismissed her from their conversations before. She stood up, peeved and took a deep bow, amber eyes failing to meet his.

"As you wish, Grand General." LeBlanc replied stoically and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. Swain leaned back in his chair, an exasperated sigh parting his lips as he took off his cloth mask and glanced at Beatrice sitting in her cage. The bird cawed at her master.

"I know I hurt her"he murmured, fingering his tea saucer " Evaine simply overstepped her boundary for a moment"

Beatrice gave a low pitched caw at that statement and Jericho shook his head in doubt "Her? Jealous? That's almost an insult."

The raven thrashed around her cage, cawing hysterically before staring at Swain with all six of her eyes.

"If it is what your assuming, then perhaps she feels the same way..." he concluded, staring at the thorned onyx ring resting on his finger.

That night he took the poster of Sona off his wall and burned the letters he had written.


	2. Change

**x-x-x-x-x**

"I never meant to hurt you." Swain uttered.

His inner instincts yearned to touch her, to reassure her, to somehow make up for all the years she suffered in neglect from him, but the Deceiver stood her distance away from her ally. He tried to read her expression as he always did, but her glassy eyes and stoic face never let up for his words to make their way to her heart.

The night wrapped her embrace around the two Noxians in the balcony. He saw her shiver. From the cold or the events through the years which unfolded between them, Swain could only guess; and for the first time in his life he had no strategy, no backups to hide behind, no others he could consult to make up the plan for war. Because she wasn't war, she was another living human being who had feelings, morals, and judgment and he was too.

LeBlanc remained silent and unmoving, time freezing around them as the quietness continued to corrode their hearts. Noxian reason seeped through their minds as both were reminded of the bitter truth when it came to emotions, and the reasons the duo followed strictly by that code until now. Swain wished he had broke past that code much earlier. His exemplary leadership and tactical mind coupled with being void of emotion had brought him through the ladders of the High Command, but all those years could never repay the damage he had dealt to her. He knew he had made a mistake, but his pride and duty halted him from acting upon any form of apology.

"You left the Rose." She suddenly spoke, turning around to face him. Oh those terrifying but beautiful eyes... her anger did little to shift her porcelain visage. "You left your people, the only thing we had together and for what? Being a dog of the military!?" Her voice rose with each pained syllable that crossed her lips, Swain noticed that she was approaching him slowly.

"I trusted you! I thought we could always be there for each other in the same organization!" she was yelling now.

All the pent up tension from the years released in a hurricane of roses and bird feathers...

"What I did was unforgivable, don't think I don't regret leaving the Rose; Evaine" Swain replied, ever so calmly.

She let out a mocking laugh as her voice dripped with venom"Evaine? Do I look like the Evaine you knew all those years ago? I'm Emilia LeBlanc, Jericho and do not forget that I can strip you of what you rose to become just as quickly as I brought you there"

Petty threats.

He had enough.

"You neglectful, insolent, useless cri-Mmph!" Her protests were cut off as they met each other's lips in a heated kiss. He felt her weaken in his arms .After a few seconds, they separated breathlessly, the fire in her eyes quelled and replaced with that of confusion and... pleasure?

Swain cleared his throat before he whispered "My mistake may take years to be healed, but I wont let it slip by. I will make this up to you, Evaine" a hand made it's way to her cheek, caressing her youthful face "Please forgive me... "

Tears welled up in her eyes, an occurrence he thought he would never see her do. The grand illusionist within her dissipated in the matter of seconds as her eyes shifted to ones he once remembered, long ago. Evaine said nothing in reply and wrapped her arms tightly around him, her face buried within deep green robes. A sob wracked her body. Swain put a hand to her back and held her close, shielding her from the bite of the cold Noxian nights.

He didn't need words to know she had forgiven him at long last.


	3. Burnt Roses

**~Black Rose Era~**

 **x-x-x-x**

They ran as fast as their feet could carry them.

The catacombs she proudly called her home burned brightly, illuminating the shadow-stricken walls of underground Noxus as the once illustrious world below the military city-state bloomed in death and loss.

Her loss that is.

LeBlanc shielded her ilk defiantly, some of which were huddled in a corner far away from the Noxian guards carrying swords and axes already stained with the blood of their fellow dark mages. Disgust was carved into their expressions as if it were yet another weapon ready to be wielded; the Matron would not have any of that. She cast a warding spell, putting a shield around her people as she gave her final glance to her roses. Their voices echoed through the thick layer of magic and their worried faces became forever plastered in her memory as she smiled.

"Farewell, my roses." Emilia stated and turned around to face the Noxian soldiers fast approaching.

 _"Matron!"_

 _"LeBlanc, no_!"

 _"Matron, dont do this_!"

She ignored their cries, they couldn't be hurt any more. Darkwill could kill her if he wanted, LeBlanc never truly dies.

She sealed the wall with illusion magic, knowing her signature staff and brooch were safe with her people within. LeBlanc then cast another illusion spell upon herself to secure the appearance of the woman the ruler of Noxus sought after. Then, she strode directly into the hands of her enemy as she found them gathered together in a bundle like sheep gathered around their benevolent leader.

Emilia stared at her countrymen as they faced her with spears, while multitudes of faces laid upon her in that singular moment; some of the soldiers were holding Black Rose captives- unfortunate ones who had not been able to outrun their killers.

They all stared at her.

Faces of her captured people, faces of the guards, and _his_ features which stood out from the rest of the others. Boram Darkwill's eyes bore deeply into hers, so sickly inhuman. There was no turning back, Darkwill would not have mercy upon her ilk unless he claimed the highest prize. She had no second thoughts.

"Is this her?" one of the Noxian guards questioned

"Yes." he had replied then gave a swift hand motion to one of the guards standing directly next to Emilia and did not hesitate in his next actions.

"You my dear _nuisance_ , have caused far too much turmoil in such a short time for me to tolerate you or your organization's existence any longer." Darkwill hissed, grabbing Emilia by the neck. She gasped and choked helplessly, but her furious amber eyes never strayed from his ashen ones, even as he held her off the ground. Cries of horror reached her ears as the captives howled in protest, two were silenced quickly at the snap of Boram's fingers. LeBlanc panted painfully through his grasp, somehow managing to find the courage to speak as she struggled.

"The Black Rose shall bloom once more" she heaved, her voice defiant and confident even as Darkwill's guard took his sword out of it's hilt and found it's way through her chest. Darkwill let go of her limp body, tossing the purple-haired woman aside without hesitance. The three remaining captives held their frozen stares at the body of their fallen Matron, speechless. Darkwill followed their gaze and gave the guards holding them a single nod.

Two were promptly executed with a clean slice at their neck. The third captive squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable.

"Wait." Darkwill stated, a smirk finding it's way to his cracked lips "Leave this one. Let her bring the message that their beloved Matron is dead"

"But sire-" the guard interjected

"Do as I say, boy... Or your neck will be the one at the tip of the blade next time" he growled, throwing a sly smirk towards the girl at the girl on the floor next to Emilia. "Besides, she's pathetic, look at 'er."

The Noxian shook his head with a mocking laugh that pierced the atmosphere before turning a heel and leaving the girl. He signaled his guards to follow.

The girl sat on the floor, her blood-stained hands covering her mouth as she gawked at Emilia's body. Except it wasn't Emilia, not the one she knew anyway; the woman in front of her had thin, stringy hair and ashen skin, her cheeks were sullen as if the brooch was the only thing keeping her illness from rising to the surface. Emilia wasn't even her name, it had been Anna.

" _Evaine!"_ a familiar voice called her name, breaking the fragile girl's thoughts away from the dead woman on the grimy floor. She turned around to find Jericho Swain rushing to her side with his bird; Beatrice. Evaine met his eyes with horror, psychological terror suddenly manifesting itself into vulnerability as she sought reassurance. Jericho took her in his arms, holding the broken Noxian, his lover.

"She's gone. There was nothing we could have done to change that" he uttered. The purple-haired woman could see his struggle to contain his own hurricane of emotions.

The rest of the survivors entered the small chamber, speechless at the sight of their fallen leader. She had woven the illusion of the wall to save them, at the sacrifice of her life. One of the members approached Evaine, hovering over her huddled body. He handed her the brooch and the staff the same way Anna had done hours earlier; Evaine's eyes met Jericho's as he released her from their embrace. She stood from the floor, meeting the hopeful hearts of her fellow cult members as she accepted the brooch and twinkling staff with sudden newfound confidence. The others gathered Anna's body behind her, to give the old Matron the proper burial she deserved.

"Boram Darkwill may have slaughtered our brothers and sisters and our beloved Matron on this day, but we shall not fall in vain of their deaths. For now we will be deeper into the shadows as we recover from this loss. The Black Rose shall bloom once more" Evaine stated and put on the brooch, echoing Anna's words.

x-x-x-x

"I'll be gone for some time" she heard him murmur. His hands moved the sponge down her arm gently, the soapy suds washing away what remnants of the night's events were still left on her body. The majority of the survivors from the purging had hidden underground, in a new base that was far better concealed than the previous one; it was where the Rose would rebuild for the time being.

"Why...?" Evaine inquired curiously to his question.

"Noxus needs me to serve in it's military. For how long, I do not know." Jericho replied, raising her arm slightly. Evaine leaned her head against his bare chest and he moved his arm around her lithe body. The beat of their hearts synced in that one moment but fragility had never been a word in either of their vocabularies, even as he held her protectively for what could be the last time. Evaine's body shook, even in the warmth of the bath water. She didn't want him to leave-not now, not when everything was so... _difficult_ and clouded in her mind with the new memories from the mantle she wore and the position she had been given.

"They don't believe in me" she cut in roughly, a touch of fear spreading across her porcelain features.

"What?"

"Our people, they don't believe I can ever bring the same justice that Anna did" Evaine replied, her amber eyes casting off to the side of the bathtub as she continued "Elise, one of her closest friends, has no belief in who I am and what I can accomplish"

Jericho shook his head, his fingers caressing her arm gently,"I see no reason for you to listen to her vile tongue, you are the most ambitious woman I know"

"I suppose"

...

x-x-x-x

 **A/N: It doesn't matter if im sick, the show must go on for these two ; w ; so i'm also writing Thorned Roses and Ravens for this beautiful thing called NaNoWriMo, which means constant updates so I can reach my word goal for the entire month of Nov (its only 40k+ words for me lol). I'm also working on having a bit of flashbacks/moments in LeBlanc's POV since I noticed that the past two chapters were in Swain's POV. Slow burn romance to me means no kissing floof until after the angsty-not-so-floofy feel inducing one shots i'll be publishing soon xD**

 **Also, feel free to send in prompts if you want to me to write a particular scenario for these two dorks~**

 **Story Trivia:**

 **\- my google history consisted of lore upon lore upon lore**

 **\- this was initially supposed to be a sort of "what if " story, Swain was supposed to be Darkwill who betrays the Rose and kills Leblanc** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

\- **this was also meant to be a display of power struggle between the two after Swain had claimed the position of Grand General and is in a perpetual battle with LeBlanc over the highest rank in Noxus.**

 **\- but fuck that, i want an explanation to why their romance slowly died off in the first place.**


	4. Restless

Her hands gripped the bedsheets as her head thrashed around the silken pillow. LeBlanc's eyes shut tighter, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest.

 _Her feet couldn't carry her fast enough, Her lungs burned in exhaustion and her heart clenched in sorrow as she struggled to reach Swain to no avail; Evaine's voice fled her lips, a sharp broken cry. Her eyes widened in shock while his frail body was impaled by Jarvan repeatedly, once could never satiate his thirst. The Deceiver stumbled gracelessly upon the ground, weakened by the aspect of her ally's death in front of her eyes._

 _It couldn't have been real... Swain would never allow Jarvan of all people to end him. It wasn't possible._

 _But it was, very much so._

 _Suddenly she was back in Kalamanda, this time it was her fighting Swain under the guise of Jarvan himself. Evaine struggled to control her actions until she realized she could no longer control the movement of "Jarvan". A flash of terror appeared in Swain's crimson gaze as she saw the metal pass through his body again. Blood from his mouth seeped through his mask, his final whisper echoing through her ears as time froze around them._

" _Why..."_

 _. . . Why. Why. Why._

 _WHY._

Evaine bolted up from her bed in cold sweat, her body trembled violently. She slowly breathed, looking over to the side of her bed in relief; it seemed that the summoner she slept with had left after they had fallen asleep together. LeBlanc sighed discontentedly, moving aside the sheets as she stood up from the mattress. It seemed her assumptions on sex removing the nightmares was wrong after all. The deceiver found a silk nightgown to cover her bare body and returned to her bed, exhausted yet unable to sleep again.

The clock on her wall ticked slower than normal, and she grew frustrated; wishing it was dawn. The new muffled noises coming from the room next to hers was not helping her cause either. Evaine tossed and turned, deprived of precious sleep like most nights; it seemed to always be like that now. She hopelessly stared up at the ceiling, yearning for the sweet solace of peace. Previous LeBlancs didn't dream, the Deceiver was not an individual to give attention to such childish and petty diversions; Evaine had acknowledged that well enough from the memories through the brooch.

But nightmares had always been a factor to Evaine's world of slumber, especially before she had taken the role of Matron; but they grew less frequent as she became older. Only now did they return much worse than before, with dreams of her closest ... friend and ally dying in various ways. She didn't understand the significance of it, and it was one of the very few things that remained to keep the personality of the Evaine she had known long ago.

The Noxian sat up musing to herself, staring at the wall in front of her bed as their noises intensified much more audibly than before. LeBlanc rolled her eyes, having been unfortunate enough to have neighbors on both sides of her suite, with Darius on her left and Talon on her right.

Despite the noises in Talon's room, it was far from uncommon. The Noxian wing was often the loudest in the Institute, with Draven holding parties in his suite, Katarina's consistent hollering, Beatrice's cawing and the occassional hookups (mainly at the courtesy of Draven.)

"Talon! Ungh!" Katarina's voice echoed through the wall.

That drew the last straw. LeBlanc threw her covers aside once again and put on a loose robe; taking her ornate brooch and staff from their usual spots. She transformed her brooch to become a small clip convenient for sleeping before walking out the door. LeBlanc easily made her way to Swain's room, in hopes of finding the General awake to discuss plans for Noxus, and maybe a chance to forget the dreams. Unlike her, Swain was at the end of the hall and only had Cassiopeia as a neighbor.

She passed Talon's door with a disdainful glare, wishing her ears had not become a witness to his nightly activities. Evaine knocked on the Tactician's door, a piece of her hoping he would answer. She waited impatiently outside, clad in nothing but her semi-transparent silk nightgown and a loose robe in the middle of a hallway. She waited for a good minute with no reply and was about to leave before the wooden door creaked open, revealing a exhausted General in his robes, who hadn't even bothered to put his cloth mask on.

"Emilia, this is unexpected... Is there something perplexing you ? " he stated sleepily. Swain's eyes spoke of sleep deprivation as well.

"I need to speak to you" she stated, not bothering to get into details. Swain had no knowledge of the nightmares prancing in her world of sleep, and she had no interest in making that intel known to him. It would only make the General worry.

A scowl made it's way to her features, unseen by the Tactician- it was unlike her to seek reassurance let alone the comfort of another individual. Swain nodded in understanding, pulling the door back to let her inside without another word said. LeBlanc set aside her staff and brooch in a safe corner and took a seat on the ornate sofa set in front of Swain's crackling fireplace. Her eyes ached with exhaustion, making Evaine realize how tired she truly was.

"You can stay here for the rest of the night if you wish, I have no qualms against it" Swain muttered and yawned, turning towards the kitchen area. Evaine suddenly stood up and followed him, alighting several candles nearby with a snap of her fingers before leaning against a countertop as she spoke.

"The Du Couteaus are still in investigation of Marcus' this means that they have also stumbled upon my agents and currently have the slightest inkling of what occurred" she crossed her arms and pursed her lips, Swain could see the venom threatening to spill from her lips.

"Need I assume your actions?" Swain continued. He poured wine into a glass and handed it to her, then poured some for himself and set aside the bottle. The deceiver slowly smirked, hovering the glass near her lips.

"I'm certain that your imagination can fill the details just fine"

"Yes, yes of course" Jericho agreed, setting aside his glass "would you perhaps like to rest? We continue our discussion about this more thoroughly in the morning with refreshed minds"

Evaine nodded, downing the last of her wine and following Swain to his bed. It should have been strange, awkward- scandalous even, but it wasn't; not when it came to him- to _them_.

"You can take my place on the bed tonight, I can always sleep on the sofa" he suggested.

"That's unnecessary dear, you can always sleep beside me. This is your room, no? " LeBlanc interjected. She sat down on the mattress, holding her head with her hand. A glint of mischief in her eyes as Swain contemplated her offer in silence. Her nearly transparent silk gown accentuated her curves as her normal pieces of clothing often did and she leaned in a bit more to show a fair amount of cleavage simply for the sake of teasing the sexless General before her; it had always been one of Evaine's guilty habits to provide entertainment for herself by teasing him. Despite her seductive display, Swain simply brushed it off and grabbed a spare blanket. He headed towards the sofa.

"I insist you sleep on something comfortable, goodnight Evaine" and with that, the General made a makeshift bed on the sofa, throwing the blanket over himself and resting his head on one of the pillows. LeBlanc moved away from her pose with a satisfied smirk and pulled the soft covers over her weary body. She closed her eyes, listening to the subtle crackles of the fireplace and the beat of her own heart, if she listened deeper she could hear Swain's almost inaudible breathing.

After minutes of restlessness and fidgeting, Evaine fell into a deep slumber.

x-x-x-x-x

 _There were multiple men gathered around her, all in the midst of battle for their nations; Noxus and Demacia. Evaine struggled to fight through the sea of soldiers without losing a part of her body within the chaos, shoving and using her magic to distort through. She spotted Katarina and Talon some distance away, sprawled on the ground was the red haired assassin with dagger sticking out of her stomach and Talon attempting to extract it from her. Somehow, Evaine could hear her cries of pain despite the clashing of swords and the screams of men around her. The deceiver shoved a man aside to no avail of finding her General._

 _Where was he? Why did he leave camp when he was in such a weak condition due to his illness? He always was so stubborn when it came to defending his pride..._

 _Thoughts continued to race through her mind as her body kept fighting man after man who dared to get in her way._

" _Jericho!?" She cried out desperately. LeBlanc could not feel his magic signature, it was present a moment ago amongst the slew of others. Her own skin was stained with the blood of both Demacian and Noxian soldiers, was this how true war was like on the battlefields? The wars that he strategized and fought through after he had departed from the Rose?_

 _Evaine shook her head away from the distracting monologue and used her magic to locate Swain's energy far more thoroughly. Scouting past countless men, she found him far from the battle lying on the ground with blood spewing from his lips. Evaine rushed to his side and knelt beside him like she had done so many times now, seeing the same sight of the bloody General pitifully. Why was it always like this? Her fingertips touched his scarred cheeks, drifting down to his blood stained lips. Jericho opened his eyes with struggle and his hand reached up to touch hers._

" _Who keeps doing this to you?" LeBlanc croaked quietly. Swain didn't respond, of course he didn't- her imaginary ally never replied to anything she said. Rather than vocalizing, the man grasped her delicate hand and brought it to an unsuspecting dagger beside his arm with all implications present. Evaine shook her head and the Noxian forced both of her hands around the hilt of the blade while pressing on her fingers almost painfully to do so. LeBlanc's strength depleted with each attempt at pushing him away, as if Swain absorbed her life force at every struggle._

 _She reached a point of near unconsciousness, her body falling next to his while her hand was guided by Swain. Her eyes widened in terror as he moved her hand to slice the letter T on the bare skin of his arm, then R, A, I, -_

x-x-x-x

LeBlanc was awoken by her shoulders being shaken violently by the General. Her senses drowsily made sense of the situation around her.

" You were thrashing and screaming" he uttered, helping her sit up. Concern was written all over the Noxian's expression, a clear sign of emotion for once in their professional relationship.

"I..." LeBlanc began slowly "It was simply a dream"

He sighed in exasperation at her obvious cover-up "Evaine..."

She didn't respond. Instead, she grasped his wrist lightly and looked at the man she had known far longer than anyone else.

"Stay with me" the deceiver breathed. It didn't take long for his decision, his actions were nearly instantaneous at her request; perhaps it was the memories of the past, or her sudden vulnerability at that moment, but he did not hesitate. Swain laid them back on the bed and put his arm around her protectively

* * *

 **Author's Note: OKAY, so that went weirdly. I don't think I did all too well with this chapter for multiple reasons: 1. writer's block 2. lack of motivation to write 3. busy schedule. I apologize for the rushed feeling and the possible OOCness that may be present in this chapter q.q I just really had no drive to write like I normally would and that impacted this chapter in specific. Sooooo, expect a revision in the future for this part.**

 **Either way, I have two future parts ready for this story that were pre-written ahead of time and are of much better quality; they'll be published when I see them fit for the chronological events present here. Again, I just wanted to let out a update because of no updates for the past two days or so and I promise the next chapter will be better (its either about Snowdown or the ball of Swain's promotion where he had LeBlanc as his date )**

 **Also! Feel free to PM me a prompt/story idea for these two. It would really help!**


	5. Snowdown Part 1

**Featuring:** mistletoe, Kindred knowing little to nothing about mortal customs, LeBlanc being a grumpy marshmallow, league shenanigans, pretty poro ornaments, lonely scary lady cliche, sad musings in the dark, bird with charm

 **x-x-x-x-x**

Multiple pings echoed through the Deceiver's mind from her mental link with her summoner as she wandered through the darkness of the jungle- now a snow filled wonderland thanks to those god awful summoners. She wrapped her cloak tightly around herself and cursed at the outfit the League had given her for Snowdown; a red fur trimmed dress with knee high leather boots, a mistletoe hairpiece, and a new wooden staff with a lantern hanging from it. LeBlanc tread through the no-ward zones cautiously while leaving her own trail of stealth wards behind her, feeling very much in her element as an assassin. The match had been ongoing for nearly forty-five minutes with both teams at a stalemate and a persistent Deceiver attempting to solely take the enemy inhibitors multiple times only to end up caught out of position- LeBlanc only died one time but berated herself harshly- however her efforts managed to claim two inhibs for her team. If only said team could follow up on her actions. She rolled her eyes absentmindedly as she passed by Aurelion Sol who was headed for bot lane.

"Aurelion" She called out from the brush she hid in, silently mouthing a curse as the snow touched her skin; it would be a miracle if she didn't get sick from this match. The star dragon turned around to face the Noxian, a curious expression crossing his features.

"Deceiver, why aren't you with the others?" He questioned

"I refuse to go off with Lee and Wukong while they uselessly chase their jungler" LeBlanc scoffed, teeth chattering ever so slightly "And we need those inhibitors if we want to claim victory" Her eyes became drawn to the stars ever swirling around Aurelion and she became momentarily fascinated.

"I'll clear the minions at bottom lane and scout the map for anyone wanting to interfere with your plans at their base" he stated "Besides, those imbeciles serve as an effective distraction"

LeBlanc nodded quietly and Aurelion returned the gesture before the mystical dragon floated away to the mass of blue minions gathering at bot. Noxians didn't thank, gratitude was often expressed in silent gestures, something which LeBlanc thought held more value than words. Needless to say, the new champion of the League piqued her interests; his use of powers beyond Runeterra was worthy of admiration but also terrorizing enough to send a chill through her senses.

But his story was what captivated the mage.

LeBlanc walked through the enemy jungle, thinking of the star dragon's past. She had heard of Aurelion Sol's story floating around the Institute as of late from many summoners and couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Previous LeBlancs in the Rose had been used by corrupt members in the past and their memories transferred to her through the ornate brooch. Personally she couldn't sympathize with her own individual experiences, but when it came to the memories of the others before her- LeBlanc felt disturbed and shied away. She felt sorry for her successor, who would have to carry the heavy burden of the memories along with her addition. Sighing heavily, LeBlanc shook her thoughts clear from such far etched musings.

As she waited patiently in a nearby brush for an opportunity, her summoner sighed in frustration for what seemed like the thousandth time since the match progressed into the late stage. The mage sulked quietly

"They're at it again. Lee Sin chasing their jungler over and over."

"Ignore them" the Deceiver snapped, her patience growing thinner with each second "Once Annie leaves the base to join her team, I'll come in".

She sat at the edge of her seat for a good minute before her summoner informed her that Annie was with the others, then LeBlanc took action. She ran to the stone base and began attacking the middle inhibitor once more. It was quickly coming down to half health.

"Yasuo is backing, we need to hurry" the summoner cautioned. She bit her lip as she distorted around all corners of the inhibitor, hoping her efforts would bring it down. LeBlanc spotted the Ionian rushing from the fountain and hit the crystal one last time before it shattered into pieces; satisfied, the assassin disappeared deep into jungle as her summoner caught his breath from the adrenaline rush. Her next and last visit to the enemy base was not as fortunate. Yasuo stayed at base and killed her.

LeBlanc cried out as the Unforgiven slashed at her side, immediately followed by feeling herself detach consciousness with her physical body.

"S-sorry LeBlanc... I tried to help..." her summoner apologized meekly

"Try to not repeat the same mistake." she replied crisply. The Deceiver turned her attention back to the match and watched the rest of her team with black and white vision as the enemy pushed them back to base. She eyed the countdown at the corner of her vision, she wouldn't be up in time to do anything; three members of her team were dead and the only two still alive were Aurelion Sol and Jhin. As she waited for respawn, unrest filled her mind. Tonight was Snowdown's Eve and LeBlanc's thoughts immediately steered towards the pile of papers awaiting her back in Noxus.

"Valor to me!" She heard the enemy Quinn suddenly cry out before she and her bird struck at Jhin, her attacks proving too much for the Ionian and brought him down to his knees. Her team struck at her allies' inhibitors, taking them down quicker than LeBlanc can ever imagine doing. Before she knew it, they also took the nexus and the announcer declared their defeat. Moments later, she appeared on the summoning platform facing her summoner, a teenager no older than nineteen with freckles dotting his face and vibrant red hair.

Post-game talks were held, a period of time where teammates were either yelled at or praised. LeBlanc's vision began to become distorted as exhaustion coursed through her heavy body-long and tedious matches often did that. As League tradition went, opposing teams shook hands, the Deceiver had a knack for making exits before the exchange or simply sending her clone to do it for her, but tonight she stayed.

"Hey good job out there LeBlanc! Even though you guys lost" Quinn beamed as she approached the Noxian. Valor cawed as if he understood, and maybe he did. LeBlanc bowed her head in thanks as usual and was about to bid her goodbye before Quinn opened her mouth to speak.

"Uh... I know this is really awkward but Valor and I saw you try your best on the fields to try and win for your team, even if they kinda didn't help out and trash talked you" The Demacian Scout gave a sheepish smile and fiddled with her fingers and Valor gazed at her warmly, surprising LeBlanc with it's apparent intelligence. The eagle reminded her a lot of Swain's bird, Beatrice- but far more comforting than the demonic raven.

"I know you didn't have the greatest time so Valor and I want you to take this; it might not be a lot but it's somethin' right?" Valor, who was resting on Quinn's shoulder leaned over to take something from Quinn's hand before turning (how did she not notice the scout have that?) to the Deceiver with the object in his beak. LeBlanc reached for the gift and saw that it was an ornament of a festive poro. She blinked at the object for a few minutes speechlessly before finally managing to utter a few words.

"Why are you doing this?"

Quinn put a finger to her lips and pondered "I don't really know. Demacians are supposed to hate Noxians, but it's Snowdown... I think we can all make an exception" she replied smoothly, her eager approach suddenly dimmed as she continued "besides your always look a bit lonely... if not left out from the rest of the Noxians". LeBlanc did a good job hiding her double take, surprised that Quinn observed her that much.

"Happy Snowdown, LeBlanc" Quinn parted with Valor, a sorrowful smile taking over her usually vibrant features. The mage took a second glance at the small gift laying on her palm and clasped her fingers tightly.

 _They had always been different from the rest of the Demacians._

She put the ornament in her dress pocket, making a mental note to destroy it later.

Before leaving, LeBlanc bid her summoner a hasty farewell then strode out the summoning room without another word. She wandered aimlessly through the halls of the Institute, taking momentary looks at the numerous festive wreaths, stars, candy canes, and multicolored lights adorning the normally bland walls before mulling over her thoughts. Everything was decorated around her just for tonight's Snowdown Eve events- a time filled with laughter and joy in celebration of the holiday season Runeterra awaited gleefully each year.

Yet LeBlanc walked along, unsure of what was expected of her, her fingers clasped tightly around her staff. She wasn't frustrated at the match, the Deceiver's mind was distracted long before it began anyways and could care less for victory or defeat, especially from the fabricated battles on Summoner's Rift. Snowdown simply reminded her of one sole thing.

She was alone, the way she had always been. The true nature of the Deceiver.

Emilia LeBlanc was only a socialite during balls and such, never a friendship bracelet to wear or a whispered promise of loyalty, but her physical host's fragile existence was still mortal- thus making friendship inevitable. Evaine however, could barely consider a spider cult leader, a hemomancer, and a power hungry general as friends.

LeBlanc didn't have a lover or family, so holidays were more often than not spent in the embrace of isolation and paperwork; old time friends the Deceiver had found herself growing close to as the years trod on. She held her lantern staff more firmly and headed towards the cafeteria, all the while trying to ignore the inkling of jealousy creeping up in her mind. It was past dinnertime, but she knew some of the staff stayed awake to feed and entertain the League's nightlife which varied from nocturnal champions to summoners and other champions alike finding amusement before the early morning. And since the Institute had granted everyone a week off, most took the opportunity to return to their nations and enjoy the holidays with friends and family; but not LeBlanc. She would return for her rosebuds and paperwork.

 _A bit of food wouldn't hurt before heading back to Noxus._

Her thoughts drifted into her to-do list. Papers back in her underground quarters needed to be sorted and contracts needed to be renewed to keep the Black Rose fully operational and well-supplied. It was a true shame and disadvantage that some groups were wary of associating with the shadowy cult, resulting in the weary Matron to put extra effort in persuasion- LeBlanc groaned internally to herself; did they not know how difficult it was to keep a "dead" organization in full bloom?

In deep thought, the mage failed to notice a gleaming Lux as she ran up next to her with an eager smile and a wave, irritating the Noxian even more than Quinn and Valor's gift. Rather than a revealing and entrancing outfit like her own, Lux's attire was similar to Sona's but with a shorter skirt and boots and stockings. She also wore a pair of antlers with bells sewn on them.

"Happy Snowdown LeBlanc!" the Demacian giggled, a toothy smile accompanying the cheery greeting. Taken aback, the Noxian stopped in her tracks, glaring more at Lux while she continued.

"I know I'm probably not supposed to do this, but I think everyone deserves something for the holidays!" Lux began and gave a soft chuckle. Her face beamed brightly and her eyes radiated warmth; LeBlanc faltered inwardly.

When was the last time she had seen herself smile like that?

"Not everyone is as bad as they seem, you know? Even if they're from the opposing faction" Lux added the last words quietly before handing a small present to the purple-haired mage. LeBlanc awkwardly gawked at the gift while the Demacian bid her a hasty goodbye, not even giving her enough time to throw the present back at Lux's infuriating smile. She shook the contents gently, wary of it's possible threat.

The Deceiver sighed wearily to herself and muttered quietly under her breath "First Quinn and now Lux" her fingers pulled the ribbon off the present, shaking her head in disdain " Demacians... What sentimental fools. " Inside the box was a key chain of her staff. LeBlanc stared at it for a good twenty seconds, why did Lux of all people do something like this for her? Snowdown Eve be damned, there had to be something else behind it and the illusionist was not open for deception from others.

She continued towards the gathering area of the Institute. LeBlanc noticed the overwhelming amount of champions there, all dressed in the holiday clothing given by the League and tailored to match different personalities while still maintaining the spirit of Snowdown. It was tradition every year that the champions get together- no matter the faction- for the last day before the week off in hopes of building friendships. LeBlanc could barely fathom the notion of Swain and Jarvan giving each other gifts like other Demacians had been doing to her. It was pathetic for anyone to not realize that the much supported "friendship making" during the holidays was another one of the League's pathetically obvious tactics in settling matters between factions. But as LeBlanc looked around the room, a creeping loneliness began settling in.

She hated Snowdown.

Her attention turned to the Demacian table to her right, where the peace-loving champions humbly passed around food and spoke within the group with bright smiles on their faces; while the Noxian table yelled, screamed, and cursed each other out all in good cheers (she thought so anyways). She had no desire to mingle with her own people, taking in mind that most of them were backstabbers and hostile just as much as she was; not to mention that the Deceiver was certain they mutually agreed on hating her in particular. She shook her head and strode past the crowd.

LeBlanc waded through the sea of her fellow champions and took a seat in one of the vacant spots left- an empty table in the corner where Amumu was surprisingly not sitting at for once. In absence of the cursed mummy, the Deceiver searched throughout the vast room and found the yordle in the company of Annie and Tibbers; seated amongst the group of other yordles.

She pursed her lips tightly.

The Deceiver looked down at the table she was sitting at, hoping to avoid the glance of whoever would pass as her chest suddenly swelled with a pain she thought she had become numb to throughout the years.

It was almost insulting.

How could she, Emilia LeBlanc, the illusive Matron of the Black Rose who made the greatest of generals fall weak at her feet; be incapable of keeping allies or friends? She shook her head, knowing the answer.

" _I do not know the further purpose of this, Wolf"_ a gentle voice said, nearing her. She didn't have to look up to know it was the Kindred, the soft tone being Lamb and the sure to come gruff reply being Wolf.

" **Hmmph, it's a plant"** the entity growled frustratingly then childishly questioned " **I'm bored, can we chase something?"**

" _But I am curious."_

Wolf made a mixed noise of what seemed like irritation and defeat " **Oh fine, let's ask that mortal over there she seems smart"**

" _Do you mean the woman alone at the table?"_ Lamb inquired curiously.

 **"Yes"**

The twin essences of death approached LeBlanc, making the mage somewhat uneasy as she recalled memories of seeing them during her missions for the Rose in her hazy past. Not surprisingly, the two were indeed wearing something for Snowdown. Wolf had a big red bow tied around his neck along with a matching Snowdown cap and Lamb had the same red cap but wore a striking red dress.

"Eternal Kindred, it is an honor to see you during this holiday; how are you doing this evening?" the Deceiver looked up, greeting Death slowly as the two spirits approached closer. LeBlanc was not one to lower herself to such friendly introductions to anyone, but even she knew her boundaries.

 **"Mortal tell us what this thing is"** Wolf demanded then nudged the other spirit with his head. Lamb took out a familiar plant from behind her, and showed it to the Noxian. LeBlanc blinked at the plant several times, finding nothing particularly special about it.

"It's a mistletoe, what about it?"

 _"What is it's purpose? We know it is the plant of the holiday but know no other information other than that"_ Lamb stated, her glowing eyes piercing right through the purple haired mage.

" **Do you eat it, wear it? Does it come alive and chase?!"** Lamb's shadowy counterpart mused excitedly. The light-furred creature stroked Wolf's head and softly chuckled.

" _Patience, dear Wolf"_

"Well." LeBlanc began, her normally confident tone taking over " When it's put between two individuals, we the living have tradition for said individuals to kiss" Embarrassment washed over her immediately. Evaine was no stranger to intimacy, having kissed and had sex with multiple diplomats, generals, assassins amongst others through the years; but explaining it to Death incarnate itself was more than awkward enough for her. The Kindred looked at each other as she finished her explanation, probably out of confusion despite LeBlanc's attempts to describe in the best way possible.

" _Can you demonstrate?"_ Lamb asked, obviously intrigued.

"I'm afraid not, the act of kissing requires two people" she stated as a-matter-of-factly.

Wolf's impatience grew " **Huff. The mortal doesn't even have a friend"**

In surprise to her expectations, Lamb didn't respond; instead the white-furred creature turned it's unwavering eyes to the Deceiver in question. Her gaze was unavoidable despite Evaine's best efforts, and the spirit of death pierced right through the multiple layers of illusion the Deceiver coated herself in, dangerously unnerving the Noxian with the taste of vulnerability it left her with. The Kindred were amongst the few of which LeBlanc knew she could not play with despite her unlimited arcane power that coursed through her veins. Evaine was still of course a mortal, and Emilia couldn't change that.

 _"_ **She is lonely, little Lamb"** Wolf growled, circling around her; spreading unwanted shivers throughout the Noxian's body " **I smell fear, how fun"**

LeBlanc shook her head in denial and stared at the others around them in an attempt to avert the unbreakable staring of the reapers. "I'm wasting my time here" she replied "Happy Snowdown Kindred" with that, LeBlanc stood up and parted; forgetting about her hunger.

 **x-x-x-x**

 **Author's Note:** Here's the promised Snowdown chapter owo This is only the first part. LeBlanc has always struck me as the grump of the holidays, hur hur. Part two will be uploaded tomorrow :D


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